Posts
How roller skating captivated Redding
Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jeremy Tuggle
Originally Appeared On A News Cafe
Photo by Laura Rivera on Unsplash
(Editor’s note: Please welcome to A News Cafe Jeremy Tuggle and his local history column, Tuggle Tales: Unearthing the People, Places, and Stories of Shasta County—Past and Present. )
Skating has a long and fascinating history stretching back thousands of years. The earliest form—ice skating—dates to between 3000 and 4000 B.C., when people in Northern Europe fashioned skates from animal bones to travel across frozen lakes and rivers. Nearly five millennia later, in 1760, the invention of the first roller skates created an entirely new way to glide.
By the early 1880s, roller skating had become one of America’s greatest recreational crazes. Across the western United States, the sound of steel wheels rattling across polished wooden floors echoed through newly opened skating rinks. These lively venues became gathering places where families, young couples, and friends met to socialize, exercise, and enjoy an evening’s entertainment.
Even Redding felt the pull of the new craze. On April 5, 1884, the Republican Free Press lamented the town’s lack of a skating rink: “Our town has been surpassed for once. We have no skating rink. But it is the universal opinion that the roller skate is a wayward little quadruped. It is as frolicsome and more innocent looking than a lamb; but for lowering one’s upright attitude in the community, it is unsurpassed.”
Viking Skate Country in Redding, California, which opened in 1974 and continues a roller-skating tradition in the city dating back to the 1880s. Photograph taken by Jeremy M. Tuggle in 2024.
Ironically, before Redding established its first rink, the neighboring communities of Millville and Igo had already embraced the sport, demonstrating that even small frontier settlements were eager participants in one of the era’s most fashionable recreations.
Plans for Redding’s own rink soon emerged. On April 11, 1885, the Republican Free Press reported that local businessman John George had moved the Chappell & Houston warehouse to the corner of Yuba and California streets, adjacent to the railroad reserve. Curious residents speculated about its purpose, prompting the newspaper to joke: “Some say that the building will be used for a skating rink, others say for a hall. If you are very curious, go ask John.”
Three weeks later, the mystery was solved. On May 2, 1885, Charley George opened Redding’s first skating rink, known as St. George Hall. Predicting great success, the Republican Free Press declared that “roller skating will be the rage for some time to come.” The editor also noted that many young women were quietly practicing before making their public debut, hoping their first appearance would be graceful rather than awkward. To celebrate the occasion, the newspaper published a lighthearted poem:
Roll on, roll on, ye roller skates
Roll on ye ankles, trim and neat;
Roll on ye limbs of purple hose;
Be careful; do not turn up your toes,
Be sure and not roll on your nose.
The prediction proved remarkably accurate. Roller skating quickly became one of Redding’s favorite pastimes, and St. George Hall evolved into a bustling social center where residents gathered as much for conversation and companionship as for exercise. Competition soon followed. In 1887, James Meads opened a second rink inside the Major Opera House on California Street. Although short-lived, it reflected skating’s growing popularity.
By 1889, St. George Hall was under the management of N. B. Howard and continued serving skaters until disaster struck. During the severe snowstorm of January 1894, approximately eighteen inches of snow blanketed Redding, causing the skating rink to collapse beneath the weight. Several other buildings were also damaged or destroyed during the storm, and St. George Hall was never rebuilt.
A decade later, skating returned to Redding. In late October 1904, Redding resident and local hostelry man Thomas Cordi opened a new rink inside the Bush Building on Market Street, formerly occupied by the store of James Young Hardware. Within two years, roller skating had once again swept through Redding. By the autumn of 1906, the Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding reported that skating had become far beyond a simple pastime—it was the city’s latest social phenomenon. Children, teenagers, businessmen, and adults of every age flocked to the rinks.
At the center of the excitement stood the skating rink inside Armory Hall, built in 1889 on the site now occupied by Shasta Regional Medical Center. There, a newly organized skating club of twenty-five couples held its inaugural meeting. Some members skated with confidence while others struggled through their first uncertain laps, often providing as much entertainment for spectators as the accomplished skaters.
The club elected A. H. Tucker as president, Dr. B.F. Saylor as secretary, and Dr. Potter as treasurer. Every Wednesday evening from 10 p.m. until midnight, the rink was reserved exclusively for club members to practice, socialize, and perfect new skating maneuvers.
When theatrical performances or other events occupied Armory Hall, members gathered elsewhere for card parties and social evenings. No matter where they met, however, conversation invariably returned to skating. One newspaper account told of an enthusiastic but less-than-graceful club member who attempted to demonstrate the advanced “double eagle” maneuver while explaining the importance of balance. His short legs flew into the air, his arms flailed wildly, and he landed flat on the floor.
After nearly eleven seconds, he finally gasped, “Whoof.” Recovering his composure, he sheepishly apologized to a nearby young woman. “Er—I beg your pardon.” “Oh, don’t mention it,” she replied. The pair quietly rejoined the crowd as though nothing unusual had happened.
Such scenes were common at Armory Hall, where beginners and experienced skaters shared the floor with equal enthusiasm and good humor. The Courier-Free Press newspaper jokingly declared that the rink had transformed “one-half of Redding’s population into rolling stock.” The customary greeting on city streets was no longer “How are you?” but “Do you skate?”
The skating craze even reshaped Redding’s social life. Many young women preferred evenings at the rink over dances, theater performances, or buggy rides, claiming they simply could not miss another opportunity to perfect their skating technique. The article concluded that roller skating had become much more than entertainment—nearly everyone had caught what it called the “skating habit.” Armory Hall remained one of Redding’s principal skating venues until it was destroyed by fire in January 1915.
The following year, in 1916, G. M. Klein established a transportable roller skating rink at the corner of Pine and Yuba Streets. Unlike the permanent skating halls that had come before it, Klein’s portable rink could be relocated and adapted as needed, marking a new phase in Redding’s skating culture. Roller skating remained a popular pastime throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s. In February 1928, a new skating rink was constructed at the corner of Tehama and Pine Streets, demonstrating that the pastime remained popular as Redding entered the 1930s. By 1940, another roller skating rink had opened at the corner of East and Yuba Streets, but its existence was brief. On December 2, 1940, the building was destroyed by fire, bringing an abrupt end to one of Redding’s last pre-war skating rinks.
Roller skating experienced a major resurgence following World War II. On October 30, 1947, the Coliseum Skating Rink opened to a large crowd two miles south of Redding on Highway 99. Owned by Troy Jones and W. S. Blazer, the $75,000 facility was promoted as the largest skating rink between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.
The building measured 70 by 160 feet and contained more than 11,000 square feet of skating floor. Its innovative “spring floor,” constructed of laminated 2×4 framing topped with felt and hardwood maple, provided a smoother skating surface and reduced impact for skaters. The Coliseum accommodated 600 skaters and featured parking for up to 3,000 automobiles on a nine-acre site. Modern lighting illuminated the rink, and plans included a check room, soda fountain, balcony, and installation of a Hammond electric organ.
Open seven days a week, the rink offered afternoon sessions from 2 to 5 p.m. and evening skating from 7 to 11:45 p.m. Beyond skating, the Coliseum was designed as a full entertainment center, hosting dances with name bands, boxing matches, wrestling events, and community gatherings.
The owners of the rink even collaborated with Redding City Lines, a local bus system that offered transportation from Market and Yuba Streets to the skating rink and return trips as well. More than two decades later, history repeated itself, as the Coliseum Skating Rink became one of several Redding-area structures impacted by the devastating December 1968 snowstorm. On December 23, 1968, the storm dumped 16 inches of snow in a single day, setting the all-time calendar-day snowfall record for Redding. Then, on December 24, 1968, an additional 4 inches fell, bringing the storm’s total to 20 inches.
Inside Viking Skate Country in Redding, California, where generations of local residents have gathered to roller skate since the rink opened in 1974. Photograph taken by Jeremy M. Tuggle in 2024.
During what local officials described as the “Big Snow,” heavy, wet snowfall caused widespread structural failures across the region. The Coliseum Skating Rink suffered significant structural damage under the weight of the snow, marking a turning point for aging mid-century recreational facilities.
Finally, in 1974, former state senator Maurice Johannessen opened Viking Skate Country, which became the city’s premier modern skating rink. His wife, Marianne Johannessen, continues to serve as general manager, maintaining a direct link to more than a century of skating history in Redding.
Looking back more than a century later, what began with a single skating rink in 1885 grew into one of Redding’s defining social pastimes. From St. George Hall to Armory Hall, from the Coliseum Skating Rink to Viking Skate Country, roller skating remained a constant thread through generations of community life. Long before movies, radio, and modern entertainment defined leisure, skating rinks brought neighbors together beneath glowing lights—where friendships formed, romances began, and entire evenings were spent simply rolling in circles, sharing in a pastime that left lasting marks on the city’s history.
Resources:
The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 1, 1883
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 5, 1884
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 13, 1884
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 10, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 7, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 11, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 2, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 6, 1885
Skating Carnival - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 11, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 31, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 28, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 12, 1885
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 2, 1886
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 14, 1886
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 12, 1887
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 29, 1887
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 10, 1887
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 3, 1888
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 4, 1888
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 16, 1889
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 23, 1889
The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 27, 1894
To Start a Skating Rink - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 20, 1905
Roller Skating Rink - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 23, 1905
The Northern California Rink Association - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 5, 1906
A Grand Event - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 6, 1906
Skating at the Armory - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 16, 1906
Whist And Skating in Contest for Popularity - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 20, 1906
The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 21, 1906
Broke Her Arm - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 26, 1906
Roller Skating Is All the Rage - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 5, 1906
Polo on Skates at the Armory - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 26, 1906
The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 11, 1906
Armory Hall Has Been Leased for Year - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 14, 1906
Skating Rink to Open Soon - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 13, 1906
The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 2, 1906
The Skating Rink - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 19, 1906
Boy Breaks an Arm - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 22, 1906
The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 26, 1906
Sprained an Ankle - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 22, 1906
The Skating Habit Has Captured Redding - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 22, 1906
Accident at Rink - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 15, 1906
"Roller Fans" to Have Treat - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 16, 1907
Skating - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 19, 1908
Inter Nos Boys Lease Skating Rink - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, February 19, 1908
Skating at Armory - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 8, 1909
Skating - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 10, 1909
Skating Rink - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 16, 1913
Skating - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, November 6, 1913
Skating Rink - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, December 28, 1914
Armory Hall Is Burned - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1915
Armory Hall Is Destroyed by Fire -The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 12, 1915
Fire That Destroyed Armory Hall Caused Loss of $20,000 - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1915
Redding Will Have Skating Rink Soon - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, July 28, 1916
Rink Open This Saturday - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 26, 1916
Skating Rink to Close on Sunday - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1916
Roller Skating Rink Will be Built Here - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 3, 1922
Skating Rink - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 5, 1928
Civic Auditorium Let for Skating Rink - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 8, 1930
Roller Skating Rink Will Open on Friday - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 9, 1930
Roller Skating Rink to be Opened Tonight - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 10, 1930
Skating Rink May Be Opened at Pavilion - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, October 4, 1932
Theatrical Groups Used Armory Hall written by Superior Court Judge, Albert F. Ross Jr. - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 28, 1964
Today In History - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, January 12, 2016
Today In History - The Record Searchlight newspaper of Redding, June 13, 2016
.jpg)
